作者: Wei Chen, Lina Ren, Dujuan He, Ying Wang, David Pike

Abstract: We investigated the reproductive ecology of Sichuan digging frog (Microhylidae: Kaloula rugifera) in Mianyang, China during the wet season (from May to Septemper) of 2013. Male K. rugifera first appeared at temporary ponds following the first heavy rain of the wet season and initiated calling. Male frogs formed choruses throughout the wet season during the evenings and nights after rainstorms. Females arrived at ponds shortly after males start calling and leaved the pond once they lay egg masses. Amplexus lasted up to three hours. Females were larger than males in terms of body size, but we found no evidence of size-assortative mating. Clutch size varied from 920 to 2200 eggs, with egg diameter ranging from 1.33 to 1.93 mm. Larger females laid more eggs, and there was no correlation between egg number and egg size. Embryos hatched from eggs within 18-20 hours of oviposition, and grew for 25-40 days before complete metamorphosis occurred. Growth was fastest immediately after hatching, and declined asymptotically with increasing tadpole body size. Overall, K. rugifera have a breeding biology characterized by strong male-male competition with prolonged breeding coinciding with the annual wet season.

Keywords: Breeding ecology, Kaloula rugifera, life history, mating system

DOI: 10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-14594